Explosion Protection Concept

CMIC Solid Fuel Handling and Preparation Workshop 5th-9th June2017

Difference between coal and raw grinding?
• Similar fineness range – R90mm = 3% up to 20%
• Similar grindability – about 10 kWh/t
• Similar moisture range – 5% up to 25%

BUT…

Raw meal is non-combustible

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What we do not want…

Ignition
Ignition source
source

Combustible
Combustble Oxygen
Oxygen

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Safety aspects for solid fuel grinding - Outline
• Solid fuels
 Properties of solid fuels
 Classification of coals
• Development of dust explosions and fires
 Characterization of dust explosions
 Explosion limits
• Explosion protection
 Active or preventive explosion protection
 Passive or constructive explosion protection

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What are solid fuels?
• Solid fuels
 Any traditional fuel in solid state
 In most cases to be pulverized before use
• Groups of solid fuels
 Coal
 Fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the
Carboniferous
 Low rank coal, Powder River Basin (PRB) coal, lignite
 “Young” coal with a low grade of coalification, high volatiles, low
calorific value and high moisture
 Petcoke
 By-product of the petroleum refining process

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Calorific value – many reference options
Used moisture definitions:
mmmf
• As received basis (ar) ar
Surface
• Moist, mineral matter free basis moisture adb
(mmmf) af
Inherent
db daf
• As determined basis (air-dried moisture

basis, adb)
• Dry basis (db) Dry, ash
free coal
• Dry ash free basis (mineral matter
free basis, daf)
• As fired (af)

Ash

When using the CV – make sure what is the reference

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Coal classification by rank

Summarized ASTM Coal Classification System

Coal Class kcal/kg (*) MJ/kg
>= < >= <
Sub Bit A 5,830 6,380 24.4 26.72
Sub Bit B 5,270 5,830 22.07 24.4
Sub Bit C 4,600 5,270 19.28 22.07
Lignite 3,500 4,600 16.64 19.28

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Short overview of relevant coal properties

Typical Traditional Low Rank Pulverized

Coal type Anthracite Petcoke
hard coal B-coal HIL Coal HIL lignite
Arutmin ATR HN
Source Holcim DB Adaro coal Holcim DB Rheinbraun
EcoCoal 2005
Moisture ar % 5 ... 15 25 35 9 1 ... 12 10 ... 11
Moisture af % <2 10 12 0.5 10 ... 11
Volatiles % 25 42 42 8 11 46
CVG adb GJ/t 24.7 21.0 -
CVN adb GJ/t 36.6
CVN af GJ/t 26 25 21.8 28.9 35.8 22.1
Sulfur adb % <1 <1 <1 2 ... 10 <1
Ash adb % 13 1 4 <1 4
Fineness as fired
> 90 mm % < 12 20 25 1.9 <2 35 ... 43
> 200 mm % <2 5 ... 16
Spec. electrical
energy consumption kWh/t 10 ... 13 12 10 22 15 ... 20 -
VRM table

Yellow marked figures: Relevant data for dimensioning

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Safety aspects for solid fuel grinding
• Solid fuels
 Properties of solid fuels
 Classification of coals
• Development of dust explosions and fires
 Characterization of dust explosions
 Explosion limits
• Explosion protection
 Active or preventive explosion protection
 Passive or constructive explosion protection

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When do we have to expect an explosion?

Conditions for explosions

Ignition
Ignition source
source • Stirred-up, combustible dust
present in explosive
concentration
• Air or oxygen above the
critical concentration, for coal
dust as a rule, above 14%
• An ignition source
possessing energy above the
minimal ignition energy
Combustible
Combustble Oxygen
Oxygen (depending upon the type of
dust)

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Explosive atmosphere and explosion limits
• Lower Explosion Limit (LEL):
 Below LEL fuel-air-mixtures are too lean to explode
• Upper Explosion Limit (UEL)
 Above UEL fuel-air-mixtures are too rich to explode
Explosion Pressure p [bar]

400
pmax (dp/dt)max Explosive

(dp/dt)max [bar/s]
Atmosphere
5

100

0 2 4 6 8 0 2 4 6 8

LEL UEL Fuel-Air Mixture [%]

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Characterizing explosions - Dust explosion classes

Typical explosion process

• Δp: explosion overpressure
• pex: maximum explosion
pressure
• dp/dt: maximum rate of
pressure rise or
explosion coefficient KSt

Maximum explosion Dust

pressure increase explosion Example
KSt class
Dust explosion bar x m x s
-1
-
classes < 200 1 Coal
200 - 300 2 Sawdust
> 300 3 Aluminium

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Explosion parameters and limits
Explosion parameters (examples)
Ignition
Lower Maximum Explosion
Temp of Max. rate of
explosion explosion coefficient
Type of Dust Dust pressure rise
limit pressure Kst
Cloud [bar / s]
[g/m3] [bar] [bar x m / s]
[°C]
Cinnamon 440 60 7.9 280 76
Cornstarch 390 40 7.9 630 170
Wheat flour 440 50 7.2 310 84
Lignite 430 60 8.7 450 123
Coal VM 37.0% 610 55 5.7 160 43
Petcoke 700 60 8.0 150 40
Aspirin, Fine 660 50 9.5 960 260
Aluminium 650 45 12.0 2’800 750

Explosion limits
Explosion limits [g/m3] Oxygen Ignition ltemperature [C°]
Lower Upper concentration [%] Cloud Layer
Brown coal > 12 380 - 450 225 - 300
Mineral coal 40 - 130 2,000 - 6,000 590 - 710 245 - 380
> 14
Petcoke 690 280

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Safety aspects for solid fuel grinding
• Solid fuels
 Properties of solid fuels
 Classification of coals
• Development of dust explosions and fires
 Characterization of dust explosions
 Explosion limits
• Explosion protection
 Active or preventive explosion protection
 Passive or constructive explosion protection

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Explosion protection – what can be done?
Two different approaches:

• Active or preventive explosion protection

“What can be done to prevent dust explosions?”

• Passive or constructive explosion protection

“A dust explosion can happen any time - what can be done to
minimize its impact to people and equipment?”

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